


Breaking the Surface

by Harky21



Series: Toska [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Mainly focused on Swimming currently, Swim and Dive AU, Yuuri is competing and Victor is the best supportive boyfriend, the end of Toska series I wrote
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 14:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15665517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harky21/pseuds/Harky21
Summary: Yuuri has climbed his way back to the top of the swimming world after a car crash took away his chance to represent his country four years ago. Down to his final event, Yuuri has yet to win gold during the 2020 games in his own country. His nerves run high as he tries to prove himself on the biggest stage in the world.





	Breaking the Surface

“Just remember: visualize, focus, breathe. I know you can do this.”

A soft kiss to his lips accompanies the reassurance. Yuuri nods, giving Victor a small smile in return and squeezing his hand before opening the door to enter the staging room. He turns one last time to see Victor’s smile before confronting the mix of competitors already present. Seung Gil Lee, Jean Jacques Leroy, Emil Nekola, Otabek Altin. 

Yuuri tenses. This is his final swim of the games in his home country, the 1500m free. His best event. He’s already medaled in his three other personal events and in a relay, but has yet to win gold. He wants that. He wants it so badly, but he can feel the pre-race nerves building, tightening his chest. 

_ Breathe _ . That’s what Victor says, just visualize and breathe. Yuuri moves to a corner and puts his headphones on, checking to make sure it’s his 1500 playlist, then closes his eyes and pictures standing behind the starting blocks, the pool stretched out before him. Breathing in deeply and focusing inward he works his way through the race. Stepping up to the blocks, the perfect start, streamline as far as allowed, counting the number of strokes for each length, the number of breaths, the number of kicks, the perfect finish. 

_ Take it further _ . His consciousness summons the demand in Victor’s voice, so he does. He pictures the time board, a 1 next to his name. His family and fiancé in the stands cheering. Yuuri smiles to himself. He can do this.

* * *

“How’s he doing?” Mari leans towards Victor as he takes the seat next to hers.

“Good, good. Just gave him a reminder, hopefully he can stay relaxed enough. He has a real chance at winning the gold in this event, having come in second during qualifiers.”

Mari smiles. “He wasn’t even going all out in the semis.”

“I know.” Victor smiles back, waving a hello to her parents on the other side. 

Over the last three years Mari, Hiroko, and Toshiya have become family. He knows exactly how important this is to them, especially since Yuuri wasn’t able to make it to Trials four years ago. Since then, Victor has only an idea of how much work Yuuri’s put in to get back to this level of competition after the accident that nearly crushed his shoulder. He knows how it still hurts him, haunts him. Victor’s been there at night when Yuuri wakes up in a cold sweat, shaking and the only thing Victor can do is reassure him he’s safe, not trapped in an overturned car. Victor knows Yuuri’s worked twice as hard to get back where he is, carrying his scars as a badge of honor. More than Victor has ever wanted to win a gold medal for himself, he wants Yuuri to earn one now.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri steps out onto the deck, the crowd erupting into cheers as the swimmers parade to their lanes. He follows Otabek, stopping in front of lane 5. Yuuri looks out at the pool. _Thirty lengths._ _Thirty lengths and then it’s all over._ Stripping himself of his parka, Yuuri leaves his headphones in as long as possible, keeping the crowd at bay till the last second.

Yuuri shakes each limb out, rolls his head, and breathes deeply.

He takes his headphones off, the dull buzz of the crowd amplifying to a roar.

_ Breathe and focus. _

Shaking his arms and legs out one more time, he stands behind the block, waiting for the whistle to step up. It comes in a long steady roll, quieting the crowd.

“Take your mark.”

Yuuri bends, the aquatic center stills, his stomach clenching in nerves and anticipation. The silence stretches far too long.

_ Beep! _

* * *

Victor watches as Yuuri dives in, breath catching, the shadow of a memory coming to light in his mind’s eye. The first time he ever saw Yuuri Katsuki. In a darkened, closed pool area he had no business being in, Victor witnessed water obey Yuuri’s command in a way it never would his. The roar of the crowd swiftly pulls Victor back to the present.

“Well his start looked good. Now he just needs to keep up his pacing,” Mari mumbles next to him, seemingly calm, but her teeth worry at her lip all the same.

“He’s worked harder than anyone else in the pool for this; he can do it,” Victor reassures her.  _ He has to do it _ .

JJ took the lead from the start, but from what Yuuri told him that’s JJ’s race strategy, go out strong and hold. Almost a body length behind him Otabek, Seung Gil, and Yuuri were near neck in neck.

“Go, go, go!” Victor shouts as Yuuri flies past, nerves bunching in his throat. At the 800 mark Yuuri’s still behind JJ and Otabek with Seung Gil at his shoulder. Victor can’t help biting at his lip, hands gripping at the rail.

“Don’t worry,” Mari say. “Yuuri knows his pace and strategy. His stamina outlasts everyone else's and he gets a push at the end. He just needs to keep up enough to pas- FASTER YUURI!” Mari screams just as Otabek starts to edge past him at the 900. Victor joins in, wondering if their voices could possibly cut through the crowd.

* * *

_ Long, strong, smooth. Push. Faster.  _ Faster _. Breathe. Flip. Streamline. _

Yuuri rockets off the wall to the 15m mark easily before going back into his stroke. 500m left to go. His muscles are starting to protest, but the tingle building just makes him push harder. The lap he’s on has him breathing toward Otabek, and with each glimpse of the light blue cap he puts all his strength into each stroke; the roar of the crowd, the rush of water, the fast paced beat of his heart all ring in his ears as he starts to gain on his opponent.

300m left and he’s past him. He can still see JJ’s hips.  _ Push, harder, faster, long, strong, smooth, kick, kick, kick _ . Yuuri starts slowly inching forward. After the next hundred he’s at JJ’s shoulders.  _ So close, so close, faster, faster _ . The next turn Yuuri whips around, gaining a bit more with his speed. He’s catching up to JJ, each breath and glance an encouragement. The second to last flip is in front of him. One hundred left, two lengths to pull ahead, Yuuri swims as if his life depends on it.

He’s not facing JJ as he breathes the last length, so he can only go as fast as he possibly can, breathing as little as possible, each movement precise and perfect, lungs and muscles aching.

15m left.  _ Faster _ . _ Three, two, one _ . His hand slams into the time pad and he whips his head up to look at the board, chest heaving, not knowing if he touched out JJ.

He scans the board, numbers popping up along the side as the other competitors finish and… 

There’s a 1 by his name. 14:30.02. 

Yuuri can’t believe it. Staring at the board, he pulls his goggles off. 14:30.02. 

A world record.

He quickly turns to search the stands, Victor cheering and hugging Mari. Tears well in Yuuri’s eyes. He won. He won the gold.

Suddenly he feels an arm across his shoulder and JJ is congratulating him, Otabek comes over as well, and Yuuri still can’t believe it, he’s floating. He looks back to the stands, and Victor’s still grinning, clapping enthusiastically. Yuuri smiles.

* * *

Victor wanted to be down with Yuuri the second he touched the wall. He wanted to be there even more when he saw the tears in Yuuri’s eyes. This moment meant far more than anyone could know. Sitting through the next medal ceremony and race before Yuuri received his medal was agonizing, but seeing him waiting behind the podium and Yuuri’s grin when Victor finally catches his eye makes it all well worth the wait.

* * *

“And the Gold Medal goes to Yuuri Katsuki from Japan.”

He steps up, looking out at the crowd, trying to imprint every detail of this moment in his mind.  The official moves to place the medal around his neck and Yuuri bows. As he feels the ribbon slide down and settle on his shoulders he’s overwhelmed with emotion. 

Yuuri can’t stop the tears as the first notes of Japan’s national anthem ring out. He looks out over the water, light dancing on the surface as his country’s flag rises, mouthing the words silently to the steady cadence until the anthem fades. JJ and Otabek step up for pictures. As cameras flash, a touch of silver in the stands catches his eye. Victor is smiling proudly, cheeks streaked to match Yuuri’s own. This was far better than he could have ever imagined. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested in reading some scenes from when Yuuri and Victor met and how Yuuri dealt with his injury take a look here! Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> http://midnightmooncatcher.tumblr.com/search/toska


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